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HAWAII OPERA THEATRE By Giuseppe Verdi February 1, 3 & 5, 2008 NEAL S. BLAISDELL CONCERT HALL oahu 2118 kalakaua avenue 808.921.1000, ala moana center 808.942.1148 maui the shops at wailea 808.879.1060 shop gucci.com Director’s Notes by HENRY G. AKINA Don Carlo is often considered Verdi’s most Wagnerian work. It makes use of the evolving structure of the Musiktheater, made so popular by Wagner, and introduces several motives that can be seen almost as Wagnerian leitmotifs. Verdi creates an entire political world set in Spain during the reign of Philip II. The opera follows four members of the Habsburg family: Philip II, King of all the world, son of an Emperor and ruler of a kingdom that “the sun never sets upon." Champion of the Catholic faith, devoted ruler and supporter of the Inquisition. This man rules his empire from a small room in the bowels of the Escurial palace. Likened by his enemies to a spider at the center of its web. At the time of the opera he has married three times. His current wife he married in spite of the fact that she had originally been promised to his son, Don Carlo. This marriage is one of the greatest burdens of his life. He does not know how to love. He is fiercely anti-protestant. His presence is felt oppressively in Flanders, a hot-bed of this new and troublesome movement. He has unleashed his armies and the Inquisition upon them. Elisabetta, Queen of Spain, daughter of Katharina de Medici and the King of France. She has been the pawn in a long political game. In the first act of the five-act version of the opera we see how she falls in love with Don Carlo, Infante of Spain, only to be cruelly given to the father, the actual ruler of Spain at the end of the act. The rest of the opera concerns her misery at the Spanish Court, obliged to be the very correct queen of a very correct monarch, and yet confronted daily by a former suitor whom she must now address as "son." In a confused world, she is a beacon of light and hope. Don Carlo, the Infante or Prince of Spain. The son of Philip’s marriage to Maria of Portugal, Don Carlo is hot-tempered and passionate. He is not as rational: he is emotional. Disillusioned by his failed betrothal to Elisabetta, perturbed by having to call the woman he loves "mother,” Carlo finds a cause in the sufferings of the people of Flanders and takes up their plight only to find himself a prime target of the Inquisition. The opera concerns his redemption. He changes a futile love into the passion of moral politics, barely escaping the twin hammers of Church and State. Legend states that Charles the 5th, the Habsburg emperor who conquered Flanders for Spain Beauty has died and that his ghost haunts the monastery in the Escurial. He is also said to have renounced worldly acts. He abdicated in favor of his son Philip who would never be Emperor but would be King of a realm larger than ever imagined in human history. His tomb is the setting for the first and last acts of Don Carlo: the place where Don Carlo finds his redemption. Love These family members are sequestered in the Palace of the Escurial, which legend tells us is like the lair of a large spider. They share this dark realm with some powerful courtiers. These Destiny persons all have their own agendas and wait like jackals for the Habsburg lions to feed. Rodrigo Marquis of Posa. If there is truly a good and honest man in the opera it is Posa. He believes in the future of the Flemish people. Adept at the ways of court, he is a loyal friend to Carlo and Elisabetta and is trusted by the King. He is however feared and envied by the Grand Inquisitor who continually plots his demise. The Princess Eboli is the female serpent of the palace. Attached to the Queen’s court, she is a And you thought the spy for the King as well as his mistress. Behind the scenes she agitates for the undoing of the opera was dramatic. family. She protests that she loves Don Carlo yet swears to expose him when she realizes that he has eyes only for the Queen. After her final betrayal is exposed she changes and desires to help those she has sought to destroy. She is one of Verdi’s most fascinating characters. The Grand Inquisitor is the center of power for the State and the Church at the same time. SALONS ✹ SPAS He is beyond morality. The Inquisition prosecuted Jews, Moors, and heretics in an attempt to make Spain a pure and true Catholic kingdom. The Inquisitor serves a God who was Ward Centre 591-1881 • Kailua 230-2000 able to sacrifice his own Son and urges Philip to do the same for a higher purpose. Waikele Kahului 677-7770 • Maui 873-7177 Don Carlo storms across the stage like the most intense Shakespearian drama. As in Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel Big Island 880-3335 Shakespeare’s histories the characters are historical– but they live in a world created through Spa Olakino * Salon 924-2121 literature. By marrying the plot of Don Carlo to the conventions of the grand opera, Verdi www.paulbrownhawaii.com challenged European convention and created a masterpiece based on the struggle of the individual against the unity of Church and State. Don Carlo is redeemed finally, narrowly escaping the Inquisition with the aid of Elisabetta. These star-crossed lovers are deeply aware of their political identities. Don Carlo’s fate raises important questions about our own time. 4 DON CARLO Sometimes, home is just a feeling. Take three, last day of shooting. Paris. 866.VUITTON and now on www.louisvuitton.com Ala Moana Center. The Gump Building–Waikiki. Hilton Hawaiian Village–Honolulu. Catherine Deneuve and Louis Vuitton are proud to support The Climate Project. SPONSORS Production: Commercial Data Systems by Giuseppe Verdi Director: In Memory of Edward G. Engel This production of Don Carlo is a co-production with Opera Hong Kong, Vancouver Opera and The Florentine Opera of Milwaukee Orchestra: The Cades Foundation with Hawaii Opera Theatre. Scenery constructed by the Utah Opera Scenic Studio Set & Cargo Transportation: World Premiere: Paris, France 1867 Air Canada Cargo Performed by Hawaii Opera Theatre Horizon Lines at Neal S. Blaisdell Concert Hall February 1, 3, 5, 2008 Presented in Italian with English Supertitles Supertitles: Alexander & Baldwin Foundation Conductor . .Ivan Törzs Conductor: Physicians for Opera Director . .Henry G. Akina Scenic & Lighting Designer . .Peter Dean Beck Costumes: Costumer . .Helen E. Rodgers Chapman Family Foundation Wig and Make-up Designer . .Richard Stead and Lee Alden Johnson Assistant Director/Stage Manager . .Tim Yakimec English Captions by Jonathan Dean © 2008 Meet the Stars: Froley Revy Investment Company, Inc. CAST Ensemble Evening: First Hawaiian Bank Philip II, King of Spain . .Dong-Jian Gong Don Carlo, Crown Prince of Spain . .Warren Mok Official Airline: Continental Airlines Rodrigo, Marquis de Posa . .Philip Cutlip Official Hotel: Hawaii Prince Hotel Waikiki Elisabetta de Valois, wife of Phillip II . .Fabiana Bravo The Grand Inquisitor . .Jamie Offenbach Hospitality: Honolulu Club The Princess Eboli . .Jessie Raven A Friar . .John Mount Hawaii Opera Theatre thanks the following The Count of Lerma . .Kawika McGuire** for special support of Don Carlo Theobald, Elisabetta’s Page . .Amy L. Healey** The Cooke Foundation The Countess of Aremberg . .Stephanie Conching The Rose Perenin Foundation A Celestial Voice . .Malia Ka`ai**, Winnie So**, Kristin Stone** National Endowment for the Arts Viva Verdi! _ HOT CHORUS Chorus Co-Directors Beebe Freitas & Nola A. Nahulu Chorus Coordinator: Sister Grace Capellas Soprano Alto Tenor Bass Friars of the Inquisition Stephanie Conching Kathryn Budde-Jones Dan Barnett Chuck Anctil Patrick McNichols** Phyllis Stahl Haines Patricia I. Bushong George Benavente Richard Cheney John Mount Patti Ikeda Sister Grace Capellas Clayton Ching Dean F. Conching Michael E. Malulani Malia Ka`ai-Barrett** Naomi Castro Phil M. Hidalgo David Del Rocco** K. Odegaard Debbie Kelsey** Christine Eilers Scot Izuka Keane Ishii Haigh Roop Betsy McCreary Pamela Eliashof Gary Kawasaki Daniel James Kunkel Stelio Megan Mount** Martha Gomez Les Loo Andrew R. Maddock** Leslie Tennent Rebecca Ramos Betty Grierson Käwika McGuire** Haigh Roop Nicole Sakata Jan Tamiko Kamiya Douglas K. Stiles Paul J. Schwind Deputies Kate Sarff Natalie Nagai Larry Wong Stelio Gregg J. Kinkley Winnie So** Marita L. Nelson Bradford Yamamoto** Larry J. Whitson Daniel James Kunkel Kristin Stone** Patricia Pongasi-Goldson** Jason Nomura Robyn Toy Pauline Taumalolo** *Opera for Everyone intern Nicholas R. Walters **Mae Z. Orvis Opera Chris Walsh Studio member Benoit Weber** Norma J. Wright Friars, Soldiers, Heretics Susan L. Arnett Randy Encarnacion Beverly Helmer Richard T. McWilliams Joy Silverthorn Ann Arnone Suzanne B. Engel Allan S. Hubacker Zack Oyafuso Richard Trujillo Robert Bessara Caron Kiane French Peggy S. Hubacker Jose’ E. Racasa Rico Tudor Ed Chow Gus Gustafson Jason Ichiyama Jeannine Sills Laurie Wong Simon Cutts Maya Mapuana* Maya Iriondo Larry Silverthorn 6 DON CARLO “H-our Oxford” watch. ”H-our” watch with double tour strap. Honolulu Ala Moana Center (808) 947-3789 Royal Hawaiian Center (808) 922-5780 Hermes.com The Story of his father, who orders him disarmed. Don Synopsis... Carlo surrenders his sword to Rodrigo and is by Giuseppe Verdi arrested for treason while Posa is made a duke on the spot. A group of heretics is led to the stake, and a ACT I. Scene 1. celestial voice promises redemption for lost souls.